Range-finder



L. GINZBOURG.

RANGE FINDER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.I 1919.

Patented Nov. 29, 1921.

WIM/5885s ATTORNEY;

Eo STATES RANGE-FINDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 29, 1921..

Application led December 1, 1919. Serial No. 341,588.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, Lno GINznoURG, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of NewJersey, have invented a new and Improved Range-Finder, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description. v

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in rangefinders, and it pertains more particularly to a device esspeciallyadapted for finding the distance of objects in order that a camera maybe properly focused.

It is the primary object of the invention to provide a small portabledevice by means of which the distance of objects may be ascertained.

Referring to the drawings- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the deviceshowing the manner of its use;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on a reduced scale;

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional View on an enlarged scale.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the device comprises anarcuate plate 5, which is preferably formed ofmetal, it beingunderstood, however, that other material may be used if desired. Themetal plate 5 is provided on one of the corners of its peripheral edgewith a sighting element 6, which is formed by continuing the peripheraledge beyond the side edge of the arcuate plate. The reference character7 designates a second sighting element in line with the first sightingelement 6, said sighting element 7 being positioned at the apex ofthearcuate plate 5. Adjacent the sighting element 7 the arcuate plate 5 isprovided with an opening 8, and passing through said opening 8 is a cord9, the inner end of which is provided with a nut 10, by means of whichthe cord is retained within the opening. The cord 9 projects beyond theperipheral edge ofthe arcuate plate 5 and is provided on its free endwith a weight 11.

The plate 5 is provided near its peripheral edge with two openings 12,and secured within said openings 12, is' a flexible guide member 13,which is spaced from the face of the plate, as indicated by thereference character 14C. This resilient guide member 13 1s curved toconform to the curvature of the peripheral edge of the plate 5, and hasits ends bent at right angles to the body ,p0r-

tion, as indicated by the reference character 15. Subsequent to thebending of the ends 15, they are folded upon themselves as indicated loythe reference character 16, to retain them in place relative to theplate 5. The cord 9 is adapted to occupy a position behind this flexibleguide 13, and said guide serves the means by which the cord ismaintained in contact with the plate 5 during the operation of thedevice.

In addition to forming a guide for the cord 9, the member 13 serves asmeans by which the cord may be retained in any position it may occupyrelative to the plate 5, by exerting a slight pressure on said member13. This slight pressure exerted on the member 13 pinches the cord 9against the plate 5 in order that it may be retained in the positionwhich it occupies when obtaining a reading.

In use, the two sighting elements 6 and 7 are brought in a line witheach other and are in turn lined up with the base of the Obj-ect whosedistance it is desired to ascertain. This operation causes the cord 9 toswing relatively to the arcuate plate 5.

I/Vhen the above recited operation has been completed, the operatorgrasps the peripheral edge of the plate 5 between the thumb andfore-linger and exerts a slight pressure on the guide member 13, whichcarries the cord 9 between itself and the plate 5.

The device is now lowered from the eye in order that a reading may beobtained, the guide 13 serving to retain the parts in the position whichthey assume during the sighting operation.

The arcuate plate 5 is provided around its peripheral edge with a scale18 marked in the degrees of a circle, which, however. forms noparticular part of the present invention. The plate 5 is, provided onits face with a chart B, and said chart consists of a plurality ofconcentric curved lines which divide a portion of the plate into curvedspaces. These curved spaces are each divided by radial lines intosquares, and in said squares are marked the designation giving thedistance reading as determined by actual measurements. For example, 1f aperson be six feet tall, and the device is operatively positioned asshown in Fig. 1, that square which the cord 9 crosses in the columnmarked 6 would indicate the distance between the object and the positionat which the person Iis standing, If, however,

the person be five feet tivo inches tall, that square in the column 52which the cord intersects will give the distance between the person andthe obj ect.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the present inventionprovides a small portable device in Which the distance between twopoints may be ascertained with suiiicient accuracy to enable the properfunctioning of a camera for the purpose ot taking pictures.

Claims: n

l. A device of the character4 described comprising a plate, a Weightedmember movable across the plate, and means carried by said plate andconforming to one `of the edges thereof for guiding the weighted memberin its movement across the plate, said guiding `means being capable ofmovementV into engagement `with the Weighted member tozretain the sameagainst movement relative to the plate.

2. A device of the characterA described comprising a plate, a guidemember carried by the plate andfconorming to one of the edges thereof,said guide member being arranged in spaced relationto ysaid plate, andWeighted means movable across the space between the plate and guidemember, said guide member being capable of movement toward the plate toretain the said Weighted means I against movement.

Liao oiNZBoURG,

